Here are eight hacks you can use to increase your workplace productivity.
As a real estate agent, you should always ask yourself what you can do to be more productive with your time each day. There’s no better time than now to work on bettering your habits both for yourself and your team. Our quality of life hinges on our ability to operate as productively as possible—there’s no one here to hold our hands. With that in mind, today I’ll share eight tips that will help you become a master of your own time:
1. Don’t let perfection become your poison. This is especially important when you’re trying your hand at new tasks or challenges. Aim for being good at something before trying to become great at it. Expertise is built by repetition; find a mentor who can help you shorten the learning curve.
2. Ground your to-do list in reality. Remember the three Ds: do, delegate, and defer. Do those things that require immediate attention and can only be handled by you. Directly delegate non-dollar-productive tasks that can be done by other competent team members. Defer tasks that need to be done at some point soon but will only stress you out by lingering on your to-do list.
3. Create balance by subtracting, not adding. While it’s natural to seek out apps, newsletters, and YouTube channels to help you unlock the next level of your business, it’s also important to opt for quality over quantity. Set aside time to review all your subscriptions and unsubscribe from anything that no longer serves you.
4. Go for a walk. Research points to many physical and mental benefits of walking, but it’s also a good way to break up your time. No matter how driven you are, you’re never too important to stop for a moment to enjoy a beautiful day.
“When it comes to making a realistic to-do list, remember the three Ds: do, delegate, and defer.”
5. Use templates, but carefully. The quickest way for your message to end up in a spam folder is the dreaded “Hello, [insert first name]” template. That said, templates can be a godsend if you find yourself having to type out the same email every day. If used correctly alongside more personal touches like handwritten notes, templates can save you bundles of time.
6. Use the Pomodoro technique. This principle is simple: 25 to 30 minutes of laser-like focus, five to 10 minutes of letting your mind wander, and repeat. The trick is that you need to use each block of time only for its given purpose.
7. Write everything down. When you delegate a task to someone else, give them clearly written notes. Leave nothing to chance. When the client tells you something, write it down; it might take more time to log small details, but it will save you a lot of hassle in the future if you don’t have to scramble to find answers or correct mistakes caused by uncertainty.
8. Do routine time audits. Take some time to regularly review how you’ve been using your time throughout the day. You might be surprised at how often you’re able to identify small, time-saving alternatives to implement.
I have way more tips on being more productive to offer you than what’s on this list. If you’d like to hear more or have any questions, simply reach out to us by phone or email, and we’d be happy to have a conversation with you. Hope to hear from you soon!
